A day in the life of Brent

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Eating Organically in Cornwall

If you are looking for organic fruits, vegetables, and meats in Cornwall, UK there are options for eating organically.

More information on why you should choose UK Organics

Local

One option is Tesco. They do have some organic food, but much more on Tesco online. If you already shop at Tesco or need something around the corner this may be a good option.

List of Health food stores in Cornwall - here you'll find a list fo health food stores in Cornwall that have at least some organic food.

Trevaskis Farm - a very small part of their farm is organic, but their restaurant is supposed to be organic as well.

Delivered Boxes

There are so many options for online. I think the delivered boxes are a great way to save some money and it is very convenient. Some even let you decide what you want or don't want for each box.

Abel and Cole - selection of organic and non-organic foods (meat, veggies, fruits). Order the specific food or schedule boxes of food you can customize. You can also pause a scheduled box anytime. Each box can be customized with what you like more of or don't want. I really like how flexible this site is. They also focus on sustainable farming.

Riverford Organic farms - Appears you can't cusomize much and appears to offer lots of types of boxes. Food is local and regional farmers.

Real Foods - organic foods as well, but not delivery boxes. They do however offer bulk discounts. They are more of an online grocery store. They also have baby care, beauty, supplements, etc.

Planet Organic - much like Real Foods, but they also add household products such as cleaners, etc.

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Water Contamination and filters

If you are considering buying a water filtration system you may want to consider all the different types of contaminants that can be in the water you use so that you can decide if you want to get rid of them using a filter.

The first step for me is to see what type of water my has. The city of Tempe has its own web site and report posted there.

Here is what I learned from the report. "the United States
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prescribes regulations that limit the
amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems.
The Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants
in bottled water.

The EPA has a webpage that lists a ton of contaminants and their allowable limits and how they get into our water supply. They can be broken categorized into the following types:

Microorganisms
Disinfectants
Disinfection Byproducts
Inorganic Chemicals
Organic Chemicals
Radionuclides

I looked through the list. I wanted to compose a list of the most serious ones, but as I looked through the list I concluded that nearly all of them have harmful effects that are serious. Take note that several of them are part of the water disinfection process so this will be in nearly everyone's water unless filtered at the faucet level.

The best way to decide on filters is see enumerate what each type of filter can remove and buy the filters that remove the largest number of contaminants.

The University of Nebraska wrote a good paper (short) on Reverse Osmosis systems.

Measles Unexplained

I thought this article was interesting and made some good points.

Interesting article. I think keeping plenty (not too much as it can be toxic) of Vitamin A by Coutsoudis in a healthy child will reduce her risk of severe infection from measles. It could be as much as 50%.

Most cases have the following symptoms: fever, cough, red eyes, runny nose, and a rash.

In the worst-case scenario, a patient could develop encephalitis, or swelling of the brain. This is, factually, devastating for anyone. It can have life long effects including brain damage, deafness, and/or other neurological impairment. Chances of this are approximately 1 out of 1,000.

The cause of death is about 1 in 1000 also and usually occurs from pneumonia. Only about 5% of the cases develop pneumonia though.

In Africa there were lots of death compared to developed countries. The cause was either malnutrition (low Vitamin A in particular) or lack of access to the vaccine. Interestingly by the time the vaccine was invented the number of cases of measles had decreased significantly.

According to the CDC here are your chances of complications:

Measles Complications Conditions

Diarrhea - 8% reported
Otitis media - 7% reported
Pneumonia - 6% reported
Encephalitis - 0.1% reported
Seizures - 0.6-0.7% reported
Death - 0.2% reported

The CDC says malnourished children under 12 months of age and a vitamin A deficiency are most at risk:

"Measles in developing countries has resulted in high attack rates among children younger than 12 months of age. Measles is more severe in malnourished children, particularly those with vitamin A deficiency. Complications include diarrhea, dehydration, stomatitis, inability to feed, and bacterial infections (skin and elsewhere). The case-fatality rate may be as high as 25%. Measles is also a leading cause of blindness in African children."

It is interesting to see how cases of measles affects the different age groups.

Notice that about 9% develop Pneumonia, but 25% are hospitalized for one reason or another.

I wonder, how effective is the vaccine if you only have the first dose of the vaccine. It is recommended the vaccine is to be given at 1yr and 5 yrs of age. If you have a 2 year old this is something to consider, especially if you have not vaccinated yet. Here is what the CDC says:

"From 1985 through 1988, 42% of cases occurred in persons who were vaccinated on or after their first birthday. During these years, 68% of cases in school-aged children (5–19 years) occurred among those who had been appropriately vaccinated. The occurrence of measles among previously vaccinated children (i.e., vaccine failure) led to the recommend at ion for a second dose in this age group."

and

"The size and makeup of measles outbreaks has changed since the 1980s. Prior to 1989, the majority of outbreaks occurred among middle, high school and college student populations. As many as 95% of persons infected during these outbreaks had received one prior dose of measles vaccine. A second dose of measles vaccine was recommended for school-aged children in 1989, and all states now require two doses of measles vaccine for school-aged children. As a result, measles outbreaks in school settings are now uncommon."

This makes me think about giving a vaccination to my unvaccinated 2 year old. It seems the vaccines will not be that effective with just the one dose. Also, I wonder how immediate would she gain any benefit.

Then I read the following from the CDC:

Measles vaccine produces an inapparent or mild, noncommunicable infection. Measles antibodies develop in approximately 95% of children vaccinated at 12 months of age and 98% of children vaccinated at 15 months of age. Seroconversion rates are similar for single-antigen measles vaccine, MMR, and MMRV. Approximately 2%–5% of children who receive only one dose of MMR vaccine fail to respond to it (i.e., primary vaccine failure). MMR vaccine failure may occur because of passive antibody in the vaccine recipient, damaged vaccine, incorrect records, or possibly other reasons. Most persons who fail to respond to the first dose will respond to a second dose. Studies indicate that more than 99% of persons who receive two doses of measles vaccine (with the first dose administered no earlier than the first birthday) develop serologic evidence of measles immunity.

...

Two doses of measles vaccine, as combination MMR, separated by at least 4 weeks, are routinely recommended for all children. All persons born during or after 1957 should have documentation of at least one dose of MMR or other evidence of measles immunity (see below). Certain adolescents and adults should receive two doses of MMR.

...

A second dose of MMR is recommended to produce immunity in those who failed to respond to the first dose. The second dose of MMR vaccine should routinely be given at age 4–6 years, before a child enters kindergarten or first grade. The recommended visit at age 11 or 12 years can serve as a catch-up opportunity to verify vaccination status and administer MMR vaccine to those children who have not yet received two doses of MMR.

I read this to mean that for my 2 year old she has 98% chance of getting immunity from measles after just the first vaccination. However, if she gets a second vaccination after 4 weeks then should gain 1 more percent for the chances of being developing the measles antibodies. In my opinion, if you don't want to vaccinate in the first place, the risk of side effects of the second vaccination may be greater than the benefit of getting that 1% closer to 100% chance of immunity. It seems getting only the first vaccination is a good balance if you child is over the 15 month mark.

I wonder how many health kids that get exercise, get proper sun exposure (Vitamin D), proper nutrition get this measles and how serious the cases are versus kids that don't fit this criteria.

The CDC does say: "Overall incidence rates were highest for Hispanics and blacks and lowest for non-Hispanic whites. Among children younger than 5 years of age, the incidence of measles among blacks and Hispanics was four to seven times higher than among non-Hispanic whites."

I would be willing to bet the above group does not meet this criteria in most cases.

The CDC also says: "Ninety percent of fatal cases occurred among persons with no history of vaccination."

This is of little surprise given that a large percentage of cases are from unvaccinated people.

What is in the Vaccine?

The CDC says: "The only measles virus vaccine now available in the United States is a live, more attenuated Edmonston-Enders strain (formerly called “Moraten”). The vaccine is available combined with mumps and rubella vaccines as MMR, or combined with mumps, rubella, and varicella vaccine as MMRV (ProQuad). The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that MMR be used when any of the individual components is indicated. Single-antigen measles vaccine is not currently available in the United States.

Measles vaccine is prepared in chick embryo fibroblast tissue culture. MMR and MMRV are supplied as a lyophylized (freeze-dried) powder and are reconstituted with sterile, preservative-free water. The vaccines contain a small amount of human albumin, neomycin, sorbitol, and gelatin."

What is an attenuated virus

Wikipedia says: "An attenuated vaccine is a vaccine created by reducing the virulence of a pathogen, but still keeping it viable (or "live"). Attenuation takes an infectious agent and alters it so that it becomes harmless or less virulent."

What is chick embryo fibroblast
Wikipedia says: "A fibroblast is a type of cell that synthesizes the extracellular matrix and collagen,^[1] the structural framework (stroma) for animal tissues, and plays a critical role in wound healing. Fibroblasts are the most common cells of connective tissue in animals."

I say, if you are concerned about GMOs, you may not want to get the MMR vaccine. It has genetically engineered albumin (human protein) in it.

What is Neomycin (preservative)

Wikipedia says: "Neomycin is typically used as a topical preparation, such as Neosporin. It can also be given orally, where it is usually combined with other antibiotics. Neomycin is not absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and has been used as a preventive measure for hepatic encephalopathy and hypercholesterolemia. By killing bacteria in the intestinal tract, it keeps ammonia levels low and prevents hepatic encephalopathy, especially prior to GI surgery. It has also been used to treat small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. It is not given intravenously, as neomycin is extremely nephrotoxic (causes kidney damage), especially compared to other aminoglycosides. The exception is when neomycin is included, in very small quantities, as a preservative in some vaccines – typically 0.025 mg per dose.^[1]"

Does this mean that the measles vaccine can damage the kidney of small babies or children that are say in the 1 percentile?

What is Sorbitol (Sugar)

WiseGeek says: "Sorbitol, or glucitol as it is sometimes called, is a slow-metabolizing sugar alcohol derived from fruits, corn and seaweed. It's a sugar substitute found in foods such as frozen desserts, sugar-free chewing gum and diabetic candies. Sorbitol is only about 60% as sweet as sugar, however. It is also used as a thickener and moisturizer in beauty products."

Wikipedia says: "Gelatin or gelatine (from Latin: gelatus meaning "stiff", "frozen") is a translucent, colourless, brittle (when dry), flavourless foodstuff, derived from collagen obtained from various animal by-products. It is commonly used as a gelling agent in food, pharmaceuticals, photography, and cosmetic manufacturing. Substances containing gelatin or functioning in a similar way are called gelatinous. Gelatin is an irreversibly hydrolyzed form of collagen. It is found in most gummy candy as well as other products such as marshmallows, gelatin dessert, and some ice cream, dip and yogurt. Household gelatin comes in the form of sheets, granules, or powder. Instant types can be added to the food as they are; others need to be soaked in water beforehand."

To Summarize

It is a difficult choice to make. There are world health and individual health to consider. No one wants to spread disease and we all want to be healthy. There is definitely uncertainty as to the best to meet that goal. I see it as weighing the risks and benefits because nothing is 100% or without cost. Here are the major risks and benefits.

What we are trying to avoid: Measles

Most cases have the following symptoms: fever, cough, red eyes, runny nose, and a rash.

In the worst-case scenario, a patient could develop encephalitis, or swelling of the brain.

Choice #1 - Don't vaccinate

Choice #2 - Vaccinate

Why you may want to wait until after your child is age 1 to vaccinate

Here is a quote from the VAERS site regarding the data:

"More than 10 million vaccines per year are given to children less than 1 year old, usually between 2 and 6 months of age. At this age, infants are at greatest risk for certain medical adverse events, including high fevers, seizures, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Some infants will experience these medical events shortly after a vaccination by coincidence."

Why don't doctors tell us this. Why don't they tell us that breast feeding will help reduce the risk of infectious diseases. The good news is that if you didn't vaccinate you baby and have not had caught any diseases, the risk of side effects is less after 6 months of age or is that really the case. This is something to consider for those that may want to vaccinate after 6 months of age.

This is a very interesting statistical analysis of the VAERS data. Here are some of the finds based on VAERS data:

The more doses the greater chance of hospitalization

For each dose you give an infant (under 1 year of age) there is an increase in the likelihood of hospitalization by approximately 1.9%. Just two doses is about a 10% risk of being hospitalized. The CDC recommends easily 25 vaccinations (even more if you count doses) by age 1 according to the official recommendations.If we assume the trend continues in a linear fashion as suggested below, then with 25 vaccinations the chance of hospitalization would be 53%. Why doesn't a doctor say that before giving or recommending a vaccination. To be fair, this does NOT mean that there is a 53% chance that your infant will be hospitalized if you follow the CDC recommendation. All this means is that of the cases that are reported for infants under age 1 that of the cases reported by age one 53% of the reports would include hospitalizations. In actuality there is not enough data over for over 8 vaccinations by age 1 to support this analysis, but it is very interesting and verifiable for up to eight vaccinations.

Waiting until your child is older than age 1 could reduce the risk of hospitalization

Notice after 6 months of age it is not really as linear as before. This may imply that the CDC is correct saying that the infants are most at risk of hospitalization from side effects of a vaccine up to 6 months.

Death

Similar findings were found for death potentially caused by vaccines:

"...an increased mortality rate associated with 5–8 vaccines relative to 1–4 vaccines; (d) a decreased mortality rate associated with children aged 0.5 to <1 1.4="" a="" aged="" and="" e="" infant="" male-to-female="" mortality="" ratio.="" relative="" span="" those="" to="" year=""> "

This means the more vaccines the higher risk of death and waiting until after 6 months of age to vaccinate may also reduce the risk of death from the side effects of a vaccine.

Underreporting of issue

The report says:

"Since VAERS is a passive system, it is inherently subject to underreporting. For example, a confidential study conducted by Connaught Laboratories, a vaccine manufacturer, indicated that “a fifty-fold underreporting of adverse events” is likely.¹³ According to David Kessler, former commissioner of the FDA, “only about one percent of serious events [adverse drug reactions] are reported.”¹⁴ Less serious vaccine adverse events (e.g., swelling, fever, or redness at the vaccination site) are more underreported than more serious vaccine adverse events (e.g., hospitalizations and death).¹⁵ The current analysis made no attempt to quantify underreporting due to age, type of adverse event, or other factor since only relative trends were utilized."

Legal Notice:

I am not a doctor or a statistician. I simply am interpreting the report to the best of my ability and trying to put it in a more consumable form for the average person. This should not be used as medical advice. Please read the study and CDC sites if you have any questions.

Saturday, December 27, 2014

EMF and Health

Overview

EMF stands for Electromagnetic fields
They decrease dramatically (inverse distance squared)
Two types of EMFs:
ELF = Extremely Low Frequency (1-300Hz)
Example: power lines, many domestic appliances
RF = Radio Frequency (100 kHz to 300Gz)
Examples: mobile phones, cell towers, wi-fi, and other communication devices

FCC exposure limits for the general public aim to limit exposure such that first, the absorption of RF energy averaged across the whole body is limited to 0.08 watts per kilogram (W/kg); this metric is referred to as the specific absorption rate or SAR. However, many say this limit is way too high and causes long term health effects that are not noticeable in the short term.

"The mainstream view is that the only potential danger from EMFs stems from their heating effects on tissue, in the case of RF-EMF, or of electrical currents induced in the body for ELF-EMF. However, there is strong evidence to suggest that the athermal effects of ELF- and RF-EMFs also contribute to various health problems."

Safe levels for RF: less than 100 uW/m2 is safe in the day and less than 10 uW/m2 is safe at night

ELF-EMF
Sources: Vacuum cleaners, electric can openers, microwave ovens, shavers, hair dryers are among the most powerful. For a longer list and actual values, go here.

RF-EMF
Sources: Mobile phone base stations, mobile phones, cordless phones, utility smart meters, remote control toys, wireless networks, radar, baby monitors, CB, NFC devices, Satellite phone, Traffic-speed radar, CFLs, bluetooth, wi-fi, Broadcast TV (VHF, UHF), FM/AM radio broadcast, amateur radio, car radar, etc.

ELF Health Issues
Childhood Leukemia - 300% increased risk at 2mG, and 450% at 4mG (ICNIRP limit is 1000mG)
Alzheimer's disease - increased risk

RF Health Issues (Especially Cell phones)
RF has been given a 2B classification possibly carcinogenic by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). This is in the same category as is carbon black, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, DDT, lead, nickel, phenobarbital, styrene, diesel fuel, and gasoline.
Acoustic neuromas
Gliomas (brain tumors) - 200% increase risk after 10 years of usage on one side of the head. 470% for cordless phones.
Melatonin - decreased production levels that affect alzheimer's, depression, cardiovascular diseases, insomnia, mood disorders, tinnitus, and cancer.
DNA and chromosome damage
Neurotransmitter impacted
Central Nervous System changes: especially cell death

sperm damage & male infertility
miscarriages
vaginal discharge
vascular system disease
tinnitus
childhood cancer
sleep problems
depression
irritability
memory loss
concentration difficulties
headaches
dizziness and fatigue
suicidal tendencies
arrhythmia
heart attacks
bone marrow interference
altered calcium level in cells
ADHD
reduction in night-time melatonin
suppression of the immune system
arthritis
rheumatism
skin symptoms
lymphatic diseases
autism
hearing problems
fibromyalgia
weakened immune system

ICNIRP
They say in a review of studies...
Exposure to high frequency electromagnetic fields, biological effects and health consequences (100 kHz-300 GHz) - says "Results of epidemiological studies to date give no consistent or convincing evidence of a causal relation between RF exposure and any adverse health effect. On the other hand, these studies have too many deficiencies to rule out an association. " They also say not enough is known or proven so we need more studies on the subject.

Which side do you want to error on?

Cell phones

According to this study, there is linear relationship between cell phone subscriptsions (usage) and brain tumors.
All the affects of RF are included if you use a cell phone.

Tests show young men who keep their phones in a pants pocket have reduced sperm counts.

Meters
RF and Microwave meters
Wiring, appliances = need ELF meter for around 50Hz
mobile phones, microwaves, RF
CFL - 2kHz to 100kHz

Antennas and Cell Towers
As it turns out the number of feet you are from the cell tower can make a big difference. At 300 feet away most meters can't detect the signal anymore. The actual exposure will vary depending on height, obstacles, etc between you and the tower. So, it may be useful to find antennas and cell tower near your office and home. I found this site that is great for this. The trick is that exposure is the sum of the towers, not just a single tower. In my case, there are about 100 towers and 607 antennas within 4 miles of me. Ultimately, a very sensitive meter. This one is a good economical choice.

Common Frequencies
Wi-fi: 2.4GHz (sometimes 5GHz with 802.11n) with range of about 330ft max.
Bluetooth 2.4GHz with range usually around 30 feet
Zigbee 2.4GHz with range around 30 - 60 feet approximately
Z-wave 900 MHz with range up to around 100 ft
Mobile phone 800MHz to 2690MHz
TV Broadcast 7MHz - 1002MHz
Baby Monitor: 49MHz, 902MHz or 2.4GHz
Microwave Oven 2450MHz during use only
Smart Meter (from Utility company) 900MHz or 2400MHz. SRP says it is only 45seconds a day.
CFL 20kHz to 50kHz
Cordless up to 5.8GHz

What can be done:

Using fibre-optic cables for your broadband
Using wired connections whenever possible
Keeping mobile and cordless phones away from your body
Using wired baby monitors: children are more effected by EMFs than adults
Keeping wireless routers or cordless phones out of regularly used bedrooms or children’s bedrooms
Reducing time spent in calls when using mobile or cordless phones
Reducing children’s exposure to wireless devices as much as possible
Avoiding using microwave oven
Avoiding placing wireless computers on your lap
Avoiding allowing your children to use remote-control toys for long periods of time, if at all
Should not be using cell phones without “ear buds.”
Should not keep cell phones that are turned on in their clothing next to their body. Use the speaker option.
Recognize that texting and other phone functions can be less dangerous than holding a phone next to your head to hear.
Remember that cordless phones also pose similar radiation hazards, so minimize their use at home.
And the golden rule is: minimize exposure to all forms of EMFs in the two to three hours before you sleep. - See more here. To keep Melatonin levels up you should avoid exposure to light late at night because light at night can inhibit the production of melatonin. The IARC has classed light at night as a class 2A carcinogen. Here is software to adjust color on your computer to a more night appropriate color and brightness.

What can be done specifically for mobile phones (listed most risky to safest options)
1. Do nothing different and hold mobile phone up to your head.
2. Hold it a little bit away from your head.
3. Use the speaker phone (at arms length from your head)
4. Text more This likewise keeps the phone away from your head and body and actually reduces radio frequency exposure compared to using the speakerphone. This is because the phone only sends out a pulsed, digital frequency when you hit "send," rather than almost continuously when you are on speakerphone. There will also be bursts of radio frequency as your phone synchs up with the tower for other functions (incoming texts and other messages, email, software updates). This option is also better than holding the phone right next to your head.
5. Use the earphone provided by your cell phone manufacturer and hold the phone at arm's length when you make a call. This is also better than putting the phone next to your head, but is not the best solution because most earphone cords can carry radio frequencies (RF) up the cord and concentrate them at your head.
6. Use the earphone provided by your cell phone manufacturer and install two ferrite snap beads on the cord. This is better than using a wired earphone by itself. Purchase the snap beads from Less EMF
7. Place one at the bottom of the cord where it plugs into the phone and the other about 3/4 of the way up (the earphones from Robert have a different configuration). This blocks radiation as it comes out of the phone. It also blocks RF radiation picked up by the cord through the air from your own cell phone antenna as well as frequencies transmitted by other cell phones and cell towers nearby. See here for more details on quality production.
8. Purchase an air tube earphone and hold the phone away from your body. Don't keep the phone in a pocket when you are on the call. You can purchase air tube earphones from Less EMF; 888-537-7363.

In California, you can purchase them from:

John Black in Costa Mesa (949-261-7352),
Robert Brandolino, also in Costa Mesa (949-235-0561), or
Sue Long in Tustin (949-387-2084)

Once you have an air tube earphone, be sure to install two ferrite snap beads onto the cord (again, Robert's have a different arrangement). This is the least harmful option. The plastic air tube in the six inches closest to the earbud keeps all frequencies from your head, but you can still have frequencies travel up the cord right out of the cellphone and from cell towers and other cell phones through the air, which then radiate off the cord as it drapes against your body. That is why the snap beads are still needed.

9. Avoid using your cell phone altogether except for a few moments at a time, and only a few times per week.

We do not recommend the use of a Bluetooth headset because you are still exposing the cells of your head and brain to so-called "low-frequency information-carrying radio waves," which are the most harmful frequencies emitted by wireless devices. While the power output of the carrier wave transmitted by a Bluetooth is only 1/50th the strength of the carrier wave transmitted by a cell phone, the Bluetooth still transmits potentially harmful low-frequency information-carrying radio waves.

Also, using a cell phone in a car is a bad idea as the cell phone can actually be put in a mode where the signal strength is increased so it can make it through the metal in the car. Don't use Bluetooth either, it just adds to the RF in the car. Play it safe if you can, don't take a call in the car.

Another option is to use the BlocSock. It allows you to make and receive calls, but reduces you exposure dramatically, by shielding the side that is near you. I'm not sure how it fits into the list above, but I'm pretty sure it could be used in conjunction with the others to further improve it.

For carrying the phone, the Cell-shield Holster may be a good idea.

Links:
Good beginners guide to meters

Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs), Extremely Low-Frequency (ELF) and Radiofrequency (RF): What are the Health Impacts?

Technical Details on sources of EMF - IEEE and ICNIRP both says no need to change safe limit guidelines.

Search for Cell towers and Antennas by address

Smart Meter Study

44 reasons to believe cell phones can cause cancer

How WiFi and Other Electromagnetic Fields Cause Biological Harm

The INTERPHONE Study - study says no increased risk for Glioma, meningioma, accoustic neuroma

World Health Organisation verdict on mobile phones and Cancer - cell phones could cause cancer

Cell phone Safety List - very good article on what can be done if you use a cell phone, but want to minimize the risk. Much of the cell phone recommendations are copied from here.

Safeliving Technologies - products to help limit exposure.

Safe Limits

Sunday, August 03, 2014

Companies that make the world a better place (if you are a programmer)

This organization actually certifies that a company makes the world a better place. They even have a job board where companies that are certified can post their jobs.

9 Tech Companies Making the World a Much Better place

Here are my thoughts on them...

Change.org
I really like Change.org's cause which is to facilitate change on a global scale, but starting with communities. I like their work-life balance and 5 weeks paid vacation. The question is do I want to move to San Francisco?

Etsy
Etsy sounds like a great place to work for their work-life balance and gentle atmosphere. I don't see myself moving to Brooklyn though.

Rally Software
Really awesome that starting out I would get 3 weeks vacation PLUS between Christmas and New years, and the standard US holidays. They really seem to embrace time off. They pay 100% medical and offer Sabbaticals. They are all about Agile. Several locations to choose from. Several US locations to choose from and also some around the world like London. I like how transparent they are, they post their benefits and values online. As far as working for a software company this seems like a great place to work. I don't really see that they do much for making the world a better place other than their green efforts and their respectful attitudes and their charitable giving of 1% of profits. They do have a UK office, but it appears to be for Sales only.

AZAVEA
They offer a lot of nice benefits also like 4 weeks vacation and truly subsidized healthcare. They plainly say they believe in having time to be with family and friends makes you more productive. It is in Philadelphia. I'll have to check out the city. I like that their product has a bit of BI or AI and make GeoSpatial data and also believes in open source.

Okay, so I didn't finish the list. It turns out that these are all great companies, but I will have to move if I want to work for them. I'm not ready to do so. So, I looked to see if there are any in Arizona specifically. As it turns out there are a handful. Here is a link to the Certified B Corp in Arizona. In 2015 there will be even better things happening like businesses can actually be a legal entity called B Corp. Things will start to change then and there should be more options.

Here are the 5 AZ companies that are B Corp certified to choose from as of right now:

Goodmans Interior Structures
Goodmans is a furniture company and doesn't seem to have much need for developers right now.

Carter Law Group is a law firm
Here is their new website. They seem to be a good company and reasonably close, but they don't appear to have a job board or us IT a lot judging from their simple website and industry. I can't seem to find their job page.

Technicians for Sustainability
I really like the idea of working for a solar company. I wish they were based in Phoenix, not Tucson.

Veritable Vegetable
I think one step nicer than a solar company would be an organic produce company. Unfortunately, no IT here that I can tell, and it is in San Francisco, not AZ.... GRRR!!!!

Manzimvula Ventures, Inc
They are in Chandler, AZ and reasonably close to my home. They seem to be consultants for businesses and they want to leverage technology, but I cannot figure out a single job listing for them anywhere.

So, for now B Corp Certifications seems to be a dead end until they are really a thing in Arizona. So, it looks like my timing is off and should maybe wait another 6 months to a year. I can make that work for me.

Just looking around, here are some companies that I like.

Glassdoor.com
I like the transparency they bring to the employment process. I like what they offer from a benefits package with the company: Unlimited vacation days, flexible work schedules, etc. I would have to move to San Francisco though. Sigh.

Tangent:
Job Titles and their salary ranges on Glassdoor.com
Data Scientist -$80K - $146K ($115 Average)
Senior Web Developer - $65K - $112K ($90 Average)
Solutions Architect - $72K - $140K ($105 Average)
Senior Software Engineer - $75K - $130K ($100 Average) ($66K - $109K, $90K Average for Phoenix)

33 Entrepeneurs Who Make the World a better place
This may be a good place to start looking for companies that make a difference.

Thursday, May 01, 2014

Increasing Intake of iron for a 1 year old

For our baby's one year iron test she showed up slightly low. They suggested increasing iron in the diet. After reviewing the Self Nutrition Data I found out some foods that I think I can get my one year old to eat more of. Children from 1-3 years old need 7mg of iron a day. Keep in mind the amounts below are for 100g portions of the foods which may or may not be the portion the child is eating. The 100g portion used here only used so that I can see gram per gram what has the most iron.

All the data from this site assumes 100g of the food which may or may not be a serving size. What I wanted was an gram to gram comparison and that is what the list shows below. I have picked out some popular foods and foods I thought my baby girl would eat. I also included foods we commonly eat for comparison. The list on the site is extremely comprehensive, I have just hand picked a list I can work with.

In general fortified cereals are a good value, but check each cereal for content or look it up explicitly.

multigrain cherios 62mg

infant oatmeal 10-51mg

Rice Chex 33mg

Chocolate PowerBar 12mg

White beans 10mg

Tofu 10mg

Sausage Turkey 10mg

Sun dried tomatoes

egg 8mg

Kidney Beans 8mg

Whole wheat pancakes 8mg